BRIEF—Rumors of $7 billion Roche and Roivant deal

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Swiss drugmaker Roche is interested in acquiring an inflammatory bowel diseases drug from biotech firm Roivant Sciences for more than $7 billion.

RVT-3101 is being studied for the treatment of moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. It has shown improvement in inflammation and ulcers in the colon when compared to a placebo in a mid-stage study.

Sources in the report suggested that an agreement could be announced within days, but added that the deal was still not finalized. It was also reported that while talks have focused on RVT-3101, it was possible that the entire company could be sold as well.